1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to light-emitting diode devices and, more particularly, to ultraviolet light-emitting diode devices for use in curing fluids.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In methods for ultraviolet (UV) curing of fluids including inks, coatings, and adhesives, the cured substance includes UV photo initiators therein which, when exposed to UV light, convert monomers in the fluids into linking polymers to solidify the monomer material. Conventional methods for UV curing employ UV light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and UV lamps to supply UV light for curing UV curable fluids on various products. However, these methods are often time-consuming and inefficient, thereby increasing difficulty and expense for curing UV curable fluids. For example, known UV LED fluid-curing devices require a large number of light emitting sources which not only add size and cost to a fluid-curing device, but also are inefficient in terms of power usage.
What is needed is an ultraviolet light-emitting diode device which is an improvement over the foregoing.